Coast Café Canjo

Made from the empty containers of Worthing’s famous Coast (“Café Des Artistes”), our canjo has a bell-like chime, rich with natural harmonics, sustain and surprising volume.

A canjo is usually a diatonically-fretted instrument fitted with a single high-pitched “unwound” guitar string. However our design is fretless, to be played with a guitar slide (which we include free of charge) and is tuned to D and G like the middle two strings of a conventional 6-string guitar. We believe this to be the best combination, though let us know if you would prefer a different set-up for more bass or treble, and we will try to accommodate.

With there being only two strings, the instrument is easy to pick up and let the blues start to pour out of you. Most slide guitar “licks” are played only on two strings at a time, so this is a great introduction to the genre and we have published a short guide to help get you started.

For a small charge to contribute to the post and packaging costs involved, we can send our canjo out to you in kit form – making an ideal evening or small weekend project, perfect for a parent and child to enjoy together. Up to two of our “Blues in a can” canjo kits can be sent out under the same postage charge. Assembly instructions are available.

Alternately if you are able to collect from the Worthing area, we will set the instrument up and have it in tune ready for you – if you wish. We can also offer a halfway option, where only limited construction is required – and the instrument is disassembled just enough to allow one (or two!) to be fitted within the quality postal tube it will be safely dispatched in.

The instrument weighs just 254 grams (9 ounces) and so can be hung on the wall via a picture rail, hook or nail. Though as the focal point of the instrument is a tin can, it can equally be housed as a floor-standing item, a mantlepiece ornament, or on a shelf with sufficient headroom – occupying only a footprint of approximately 10 cm (4 inches) diameter.

Worried that your canjo habit may become addictive and keep you awake all night? Prefer your blues a little less strong? Help may be at hand, as we sometimes stock very limited numbers of decaffeinated instruments. (Green – as pictured above)